Dengue Fever

DENGUE FEVER

            It is a non-contagious disease being spread by mosquitoes to the human community. The virus they carry to human is fatally dangerous and if untreated, the victim could even collapse to death. As evident from the name, it is a fever accompanied by various other hazardous symptoms like low blood pressure, pain and excessive bleeding in abdomen or chest.

CAUSES: The causative agent is DENV virus which enters the body from a mosquito bite and attaches to the body cells into which it replicates and mobilizes to the body’s immune system. It is observed that the body’s defense action after failing to counteract the virus becomes a means of is duplication due to which the disease takes a course of vicious cycle. Mosquitoes carrying this virus could even be found near the cleanest waters. Repeated dengue fever shows infection with each of four different types of DENV virus.

RISK FACTORS: Inhabiting areas of moist climate near rivers or ocean could increase susceptibility to the mosquitoes subsequently to the virus. Second dengue fever due to a different type of DENV virus would be even severer than the previous one.

SYMPTOMS: High temperature, headache, backache, nausea, vomiting, joint and muscle pain, bleeding underneath the skin, suppressed body defense mechanism, generalized damage to vessels all over the body leading to bleeding and pain are all the symptoms of dengue fever.

TESTS: CBC or complete blood count of blood showing decreased white blood cells, decreased platelets and then metabolic acidosis with high hematocrit and low albumin level indicates dengue fever. Physical examination of liver and inspection for ascites along with the tourniquet test in which the cuff for measuring blood pressure is applied for five or more minutes and observation for rashes or purple spots on the arm is made are effective methods to diagnose dengue fever.

TREATMENT: No approved vaccine is available for the disease but many are under clinical trials. An important factor is that the vaccine might actually trigger the virus to duplicate instead of sensitizing it.

PREVENTION: Remove any water containers nearby before sleeping. Use insecticides, bio-control agents and mosquitos’ repellants to keep them away. Covering the skin with clothes before going to sleep could effectively prevent mosquito from reaching your blood.